Non-sinkable ship



M. OLSEN.

NON-SINKABLE SHIP.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 13. Isla.

l H5 @TZ-To QZSQTL I l A Ill 'ufl' MARTIN OLSEN,OF MANCHESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

- NON-SINKABLE SHIP.

Specification of LettersPatent.

ApplicationI filed lFebruary 13, 1918. -Serial-No. 216,858.

To all @hom it may, Concern:

I Se it known that I, MARTIN OLsEN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at State of Massachusetts, `have invented new and useful Improvements in Non-SinkableY Ships, of which the following is a specifi cation.

The object of this invention is to provide a ship which shall be substantially proof l against mines and torpedoes, and capable of transporting troops and merchandise.

with comparative safety during timeof war. In accordance with my invention, that portion of the hull which is below the water line is filled with buoyantbodies, suchfas metal cases, which are held in place with` spaces between them, to absorb the .eect of an explosion, and is provided with relatively large vents or stacks leading to .the exterior atmosphere. I appreciate that the utiliza* *i tion of the space in the hull, for receiving the pontoons, cuts down the carrying capacity of the ship, compensated for by decreasing the number of the ships sunk.

A ship embodying my invention has the interiorrof the hull divided longitudinally and transversely by open-work gratingsor partitions, into communicating compara ments, and in each compartment are stacked the cases so as completely to -ll it. are employed to separate each individual case from those adjacent, and leave commiinicating air spaces or channels. Then from each compartment, a large .vent or stack is carried through the upper decks and opens into the atmosphere, for quickly carrying away the gases formed or released by the explosion.

-It is preferable that the cases should in the main be identical in construction or interchangeable, and that each should consist of an air-tight sheet-metal box, so that by their buoyancy, even though a large hole be formed in the hull, the vessel will be kept afloat thereby.

On the accompanying drawings,- Figure l represents in plan view a vessel, this figure being more or less diagrammatic and not showing anything more than the hull, the vents, and in broken lines the openwork partitions.

Fig. 2 illustrates a longitudinal section through the ship.

but I believethat this -is Y Spacers 1 Fig. 3 represents a transverse section.l

thereofon the line on a somewhat ,larger scale. Manchester, in the county of Essex and Fig. 4 represents in section one of the hollow casesor buoyant bodies.

Patented Nov. 11, 1919. f

Fig. 5 is an isometric perspective view illustratingihow they are stacked ,in rows and piles.

Fig. 6 illustrates a spacer which is located at the corners of eight pontoons.

The drawing doesnot illustrate any of y.the features of the ship or vessel except those which embody the present invention, it being understood that the vessel will be equipped with suitable propellers and gas or Vsteam engines for furnishing power thereto.

I have not attempted to illustrate the variousdecks which are yarranged above the main deck, `as these fornino part of the present invention. IThe hull of the ship is shownin outline in fFigs. l, Q and 3, and it vis provided v with what may be term-ed a Vmain deck ci which is preferably a few feet above the water line which is indicated in Fig. 3 at The ship is divided longitudinally and .transversely by yafrious parti-V cated at b b b andthe transverse partitions at a 0 c. Theremay be as many of these partitions as desired. Extending from the maindec-k and terminating above the upper deck there arev aiiumberr ofrelatively flargevents or stacks d, each of which is rshown as leading from two of the compartments. The partitions, as previously explained, are preferably opeii-work. vThey may be made of metal bars, angle irons or the like, as indicated at e in Fig. 3, so that, while they actually divide the space below the main deck into compartments, the said compartments communicate with each other.

IVithn the several compartments there are stacked or piled numerous hollow cases or boxes indicated at f. Each consists of aV tions, the longitudinal partitions being-indithe cases may be shaped sol as to fit in irregular spaces caused by the curvature of the sides and Ibottom of the ships hull. They should be so stacked in the Various compartments that they are held against movement.

In F ig. G, the eubical spacer block 7c has at each of its eight corners a rentrant recess to receive the corner of one of the oblong pontoons.

The spacers provide numerous communicating horizontal and vertical air channels between the cases or rbouyant bodies through which gases resulting from an explosion will travel to the vents or stacks, which are always open to the atmosphere, and be dissipated into the external air. Even though water should pass through a hole in the hull and fill the channels, the pontoons, by their buoyancy, will keep the ship afloat.

In the event that a torpedo should penetrate the shell or side of the vessel, and should explode in the interior thereof, the expanding ,gases will fill the channels or spaces between the cases and a large proportion will escape through the relatively large vents which communicate therewith. Doubtless a number of the cases will be crushed, but there will be a sufficient number uninjured to keep the vessel afloat theirbuoyaney. Even though the whole hull should be filled with water below the main deck a, the vessel will remain afloat. In all probability a vessel could be destroyed by continued shell iire, but the explosion of one or even several torpedoes in the hull will not cause the sinking of the ship.

It will be noticed that, in Fig. l, to the right of the last partition c at the stern,

there are no longitudinal partitions and no cases. This spaceJ is left for the reception of' power-transmitting mechanism, gas engines or the like.

l/Vhat I claim is l. A ship having` the space below its main deck filled with individual airtight cases, and means for spacing said cases apart vertically and horizontally to provide communicating horizontal and vertical air channels.

2. A ship comprising a hull, a main deck, open partitions dividing the space below the main deck into compartments, individual buoyant 'bodies lling said compartments, and spacers for spacing said bodies apart both vertically and horizontally to form communicating air channels.

3. A ship comprising a hull, a main deck, partitions dividing the space below the main deck into compartments, individual airtight cases substantially filling said compartments and spaced apart to provide communicating horizontal and vertical air channels, and vents communicating with said air spaces leading from said compartments upwardly through said main deck.

et. A ship comprising a hull, a main deck, openwork partitions dividing the space below the main deck into communicating compartments, individual airtight cases substantially filling said compartments, spacers for spacing said cases vertically and horizontally and forming air channels'and vents communicating with said channels and leading from said compartments upwardly through said main deck.

In testimony whereof I have aliixed my signature.

MARTIN OLSEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

